Sally's Son
by QueenCaspianX
Summary: A series of one-shots revolving around Sally's life raising Percy
1. Special

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns Percy Jackson, not me

Sally knew that her child was going to be special. From the moment she found out that she was pregnant, she knew that it would grow up to be an amazing person.

When she had told Poseidon during one of their meetings that she was expecting, his face went pale. That was unexpected. Sally knew from the moment that Poseidon introduced himself that he was the real deal. One of the Greek gods. He had such a powerful aura of wisdom and age that there was no way he couldn't be. She didn't delude herself into thinking that he didn't have any other mortal women and children; he was too old not to.

He definitely had plenty of children, so she didn't think that finding out he was going to be a father again would take him by surprise or frighten him at all. But it did. And that made her curious. So she confronted him about it, demanding to know what he was so nervous about.

He told her about the Big Three gods, him and his two brothers Zeus and Hades. He talked about their powerful half-blood children and a horrible prophecy foretelling that the next demigod child of one of the Big Three gods to reach the age of sixteen would have to make a choice, potentially destroying the gods. The prophecy made it seem like the child wouldn't survive much longer after this choice was made.

"Sally," he said, "this will be the first child to be born to me or my brothers in sixty years. Under the best circumstances, he or she can only live to be sixteen years old. This will be the child of the prophecy. I didn't want to make you go through this; to raise this child on your own, only to have it die after sixteen years. That would be cruel."

But Poseidon didn't know what Sally did. He didn't know that this child was special and would grow up to do amazing things.

"The prophecy doesn't say that this child will certainly die," she said. "My baby will survive; I know it. You need to have a little bit of faith. In me. I won't raise a child that will choose to destroy its father. I will make sure that this baby will do the right thing."

Poseidon smiled at her. She loved his smile; it was one of the things that made her fall in love with him. Smile lines crinkled across his face exposing blindingly white teeth that starkly contrasted his tan skin. His smile was godly, but at the same time one of the most human things about him.

"I know you will Sally. I do have faith in you. But there's more." His smile faded. Sally suddenly became nervous. She put a hand protectively over her stomach, over her child. "My brothers and I… we made a pact. It was shortly after World War II ended and we heard this prophecy for the first time. We vowed never to have any half-blood children again. My brothers will not be pleased when they find out I've broken our agreement. We'll have to keep this a secret. For the child's protection, my brothers cannot know about this, at least until the child is older."

"But Poseidon," Sally said. She saw where he was going with this, and she didn't like it. "Keeping the baby a secret won't solve anything. How do you know that your brothers haven't broken the pact as well? For all we know, one of them may have a child about to turn sixteen." But he was shaking his head.

"No, Sally. You know some of the myths about Zeus. After we heard the prophecy, he destroyed any half-blood children we had who were younger than sixteen. Luckily, I didn't have any at the time, but he destroyed a pair of Hades' children… let's just say Hades didn't take it too well. That's why he can't find out about you or this child. This must remain a secret until Zeus can make a judgment on the child's character."

Sally closed her eyes and tried to think. She didn't see any way out of this. "Why me?" she asked quietly. "Seventy years, and why did you choose me?"

He didn't answer at first. She didn't open her eyes, and for a minute, she was afraid that he left her.

Then she felt strong hands on her shoulders. The scent of the sea that always hung on him grew stronger. She opened her eyes and found herself looking into deep green ones.

"Because Sally Jackson, you are a queen among women. As brief as our time has been together, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It has been a privilege to know you." She glowed at the praise. Not many people could say they received a compliment like _that_ from a god.

"But you have to leave now." It wasn't a question. She saw that there was no way the two of them could be together.

He nodded.

"The more time I spend with you, the greater the chances will be that my brothers will find out about you. I can't risk that. I'm truly sorry, but you are going to have to do all of this on your own."

She nodded. Ever since her parents died, she was used to being on her own. And in a few months, she wouldn't completely be on her own any more.

"But you don't need to leave yet, right?" Sally asked. She didn't want to lose him just yet, not when they had only had a few weeks together. "You can stay for a little bit longer."

He smiled. He stayed at Montauk with her for the rest of the day. He told her as much as he could about the world their child would be born into, the mythological part at least.

She learned about a camp for half-blood children on Long Island she could send the baby to in a few years, although she didn't like the idea of her child being raised at a camp. She learned that monsters track heroes by scent and that she should try not to call them by name. Poseidon told her all that he could amidst words of love and affection.

And then he was gone. Sally had the feeling she wouldn't see him again for many years.

Over the next few months, she threw herself into preparing for the birth of the baby. She picked up as many shifts as her waitressing job as she could to save up some money. She bought baby things, read books about babies, and, after finding out she was having a boy, began looking up baby names.

She couldn't find the right name. Nothing ever fit perfectly. She needed a name that was as special as he would be. She couldn't name him something common like Nick or John or Michael (she definitely couldn't name him Michael!). It needed to be a little more unique.

She threw herself into learning about Greek mythology. She was looking for a name, but she also figured that it would help her in the long run to know more about the world she was bringing a child into. But none of those names fit either. She refused to call her son Achilles or Prometheus. She looked up the names of some of Poseidon's other children. Theseus, Triton, Orion. But she quickly dismissed them all. It would be too weird to name Poseidon's next son after one of Poseidon's children with another woman.

Then the day came. Sally went into labor still having no idea what her son's name would be.

She was in labor for hours and she was alone. She tried to focus on the fact that soon, very soon, she wouldn't be alone anymore. She would never be alone again.

And the baby came. Exhausted and intoxicated with the drugs they gave her, Sally held her son in her arms. He was perfect. She completely fell in love with him.

Sally rocked him gently. He opened his eyes even though all of her books said he shouldn't be able to yet. They were sea green, the exact same shade as his father.

Poseidon didn't think there was any way this boy could have a happy ending. He thought their son was doomed.

"We'll show him," Sally whispered. "You will have a happy ending. I promise."

"Do we have a name yet?" a nurse asked. Sally looked up in surprise. She had forgotten there was anyone else in the delivery room.

"Perseus," she said, almost without thinking. "Perseus Jackson." She had rejected the name Perseus almost immediately. She was hesitant to name him after a son of Zeus, especially since Zeus would be intent on destroying him if he knew about her son.

But Perseus in Greek mythology had had a happy ending. She could count on one hand how many of those heroes had happy endings, but Sally knew her son would one day be one of them. He was a special kind of hero, one that would always win. Against all odds, he would be happy. She was sure of it.


	2. Waiting

Sally had just put a fresh batch of blue cookies in the oven when she heard a knock on the door. She wasn't expecting anyone and didn't think it could be any of Percy's friends – Percy had left just a few days earlier for Camp Half-Blood and his friends were all there with him. Suspecting it was someone trying to sell her something, she sighed and went to open the door.

She was not expecting to see Annabeth standing at the door with puffy red eyes.

"Annabeth? Honey, what's wrong?"

"It's P-Percy." Sally could tell her son's girlfriend was doing her best to hold herself together, but she burst out into tears. She could also tell that Annabeth wasn't crying because Percy had done something stupid like break up with her; this was much more serious.

"Come in. I'll get you something to calm you down." She ushered Annabeth into the kitchen and got her a glass of milk. She probably should have made tea or something, but milk always used to calm Percy down when he was younger. Maybe it was just nostalgia or wishful thinking.

Annabeth downed the glass before she was able to calm down a little.

"Percy's missing," Annabeth blurted out.

Sally's stomach hit the floor. She sat down. "What did you say?"

"He's g-gone. Without a trace. No one knows what happened to him." Sally saw now that in addition to her puffy eyes, Annabeth also had deep bags beneath her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Annabeth sniffled. "Well, on Friday, I met him at camp as soon as he arrived. We were so excited to spend the week together. We didn't think that we'd see each other for that long until next summer. After the campfire, he walked me to my cabin. He spent the whole walk talking about what we'd do this week. Archery, snowball fights, swimming." She chuckled. "He didn't seem to get that just because _he_ could swim in the Sound in the middle of December without freezing didn't mean that I could as well." Sally chuckled as well. That sounded like her son.

Annabeth continued. "When we reached my cabin, we said good night. And that was it. That was the last anyone has heard from him."

"He's gone? Just like that?" Annabeth nodded.

Sally looked at the calendar. "But it's Monday! He's been missing for three days?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to alarm you. I had to be sure." Annabeth sounded so miserable.

"He'll be back," Sally said confidently. But Annabeth was shaking her head.

"I don't know. I think—I think he's in trouble. This isn't like him, leaving like this without a word. Without saying anything to me!" She was getting angry. Sally poured Annabeth some more milk. Deep down, she knew Annabeth was right. It wasn't like her son to just run off without a word. Especially without telling Annabeth anything. She was Percy's anchor and strategist. The only feasible explanation for him leaving telling her was that he didn't leave willingly. And the fact that he hadn't contacted anyone in three days when he knew they'd all be worried sick… It wasn't looking good.

"Do you remember Mount St. Helens last summer?" Sally saw Annabeth's cheeks redden. Apparently she did. "Chiron Iris messaged me and told me that you all thought Percy was dead. There was that explosion and then no one heard from him for two weeks. Everyone was giving up hope. You were all getting ready to burn his shroud. But I knew. I've listened to him describe his adventures with you over the last few years and all of the monsters he's fought. Hydras, gods, giants, Titans. It never ended. I was never able to predict what he'd have to face next. But I know my son, and I know that there's one thing I can always count on: he'll come back." Sally reached for Annabeth's hand and was glad when she didn't pull away. "When Chiron told me Percy was dead, I didn't believe him. It's not that I was in denial. I just knew it wasn't true. I knew then that he'd be back, and I know now that he'll return. He wouldn't just leave you like this. I promise."

Annabeth was silent. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. It was a while before she spoke again.

"So what do we do now?"

The timer went off for the oven. Sally squeezed Annabeth's hand.

"Well right now, we're going to pig out on chocolate chip cookies, and then we're going to wait. That's all that we can do."


	3. Stories in the Park

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns Percy and co., not me!

There was nothing quite like Central Park on a warm, sunny day. The park was so far from their small, dingy apartment that Sally rarely took her six-year-old son there. But the stars had aligned on that day; the gods seemed to want Sally to bring Percy to Central Park. It was a weekend at the end of May during the first beautiful stretch of weather Manhattan had seen yet that year. It wasn't too humid, the bills were paid (well, most of them at least), and all Sally wanted to do was get outside.

Percy was thrilled. She had brought a large bag with sandwiches, drinks, a baseball, and Percy's beaten up secondhand glove. They were planning on having a picnic and then playing ball for a little while. Percy's face had lit up when Sally suggested it; these days, she was usually either working or too tired from working for outings like this.

After bouncing around the park looking for the perfect spot to eat, Percy finally decided on a shady span of grass where there weren't that many people nearby. Sally was barely sitting down when he grabbed her bag and pulled out two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She didn't think that he would be able to keep himself still long enough to eat it.

After his first bite: "Mommy, can we play now?"

"Not yet honey. Finish your sandwich first." He stuck out his lower lip in a cute little pout and took another bite.

"Mommy?"

"Yes Percy?"

"Are you going to tell me that I have to wait a little after I'm done eating before we can play?"

"Yes, Percy. You don't want to get a bellyache, do you?"

He shrugged. "I guess not."

He took another bite silently. "Can you tell me a story?" That was actually a good idea. It would keep him quiet and calm long enough to finish eating and digest a little before he ran around.

"Sure honey. What do you want to hear? Goldilocks? Cinderella?"

He scrunched up his face. "No more fairy tales. Tell me another myth."

She was hesitant to expose Percy to any more myths than she already had; she knew that he would certainly hear enough of them in a few years to last a lifetime, but then again maybe hearing them now would prepare him better for his life as a half-blood.

Percy loved hearing stories from her. She started off with the typical fairy tales and stories that most moms told their children. But she ran out of them quickly – he asked for so many – and she told him a Greek myth in a panic. He loved hearing the myths and asked for them very frequently.

"Of course Percy." She sifted through her memories trying to find the most kid-friendly one she could that he hadn't heard yet. Unfortunately there weren't many. She settled on the story of Hercules; she had already told him parts of the whole thing, but usually it was a bedtime story that he couldn't stay awake for.

He finished his sandwich before she was done telling him about Hera's anger at Hercules and tricking him into hurting his family. When she started telling him about all of the tasks Hercules had to complete in order to make up for it, Percy's mouth dropped open in astonishment. He was completely enraptured by the eight tasks – Sally couldn't quite recall all thirteen despite extensively studying Greek mythology a few years earlier.

When she was finished telling him about all of the monsters that Hercules had to face, she thought for a moment that Percy was about to drift off to sleep. But when he heard her stop speaking, his eyes popped back open.

"That was a good story Mommy. Can we play now?" Sally rummaged through her bag and pulled out Percy's ball and glove. He ran away from their things to get into position. While Sally stood up, he enthusiastically threw the ball up into the air and tried – and failed – to catch it. The boy couldn't stay still for more than a few seconds, unless of course he was listening to one of Sally's stories. Poseidon had said that Percy might be diagnosed with ADHD one day, and she was definitely beginning to believe it.

He threw the ball to her and she caught it easily. Then she gently lobbed it back to him. He missed and had to bend over to get it. They tossed it back and forth a few times before Sally noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

"Did you see that? I caught it!" Percy was thrilled.

"That's great honey." But her attention was on the large dog watching them. Its head had been following the ball back and forth and back and forth. It was a large black dog, larger than any mortal dog should be. And its eyes were glowing red.

Percy noticed her distraction and followed his mother's eyes to the hound.

He gasped. "A puppy! Mommy, can I go pet it?"

"No Percy!" she said sharply. She motioned for him to come back to their picnic site. As he walked, Sally saw a young couple pass by the hellhound. The girl pointed at it and gushed, clearly thinking it was cute.

The Mist. Sally had always been able to see more than anyone else around her, and she remembered Poseidon telling her it was because she could see through the Mist.

"Percy? What kind of dog is that? What do you see?" she asked out of curiosity.

He looked at it again.

"A white one. It's really little and looks so soft. Why can't I pet it?

"You should never pet stray dogs," Sally responded, never removing her eyes from the hellhound. How could everyone else be mistaking that huge creature of Hades for a cute white puppy? "They may look friendly, but you don't want to get bitten. Never pet a dog unless the owner says it's friendly."

Then Sally remembered something else about Poseidon. It was so long ago, she was beginning to forget some of the things that he told her. She remembered once why he never called any of the mythological creatures and gods by name, instead using phrases like "my brothers" and "the Kindly Ones." He told her that names had power and tended to attract the wrong types of beasts.

The hellhound must've come because of Sally's Hercules story. She looked around quickly. What other monsters may have been in the area and decided to come?

"Percy, let's go home now," she said.

"But we barely played at all!" She knew he wouldn't want to leave yet. But she couldn't just wait here for the rest of the monsters to join them.

"Well how about this: let's stop to get ice cream on the way home. Sound like fun?"

He smiled widely. "Yes!" He went to collect their things. She knew that ice cream would convince him. She was never able to afford treats like that. She probably couldn't afford it now, but she needed to get Percy out of the park.

Sally grabbed her young son's hand and walked towards the park exit, all the while paying as much attention as she could to Percy's chatter.

They had passed monsters in the past before. Heck, Percy had already killed a pair of snakes that decided to drop into his crib. Other than that, they were never attacked. Percy still remained ignorant to the existence of monsters, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Something about this hellhound had really shaken her up. Maybe it was how it just sat there watching them. Or maybe it was knowing that she, Sally Jackson, had unintentionally summoned it.

As Percy got older, the monsters were appearing with greater and greater frequency. Sally knew that someday, a monster would come that wouldn't just sit and watch them, and then she would be helpless trying to defend her little boy.

She needed to find a way to keep the monsters away from her and Percy once and for all.


	4. The First Meeting

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns Percy Jackson, not me!

"Mom, no matter how many times you flatten my hair, it'll still look the same." True, but she had to try.

"Have you tried brushing it with a wet comb?"

Percy sighed. "Yes Mom. Nothing works on it." She tried fixing it one more time, Percy was being very patient with her antics today, before she stood up and tried to find something to clean. She straightened some magazines on a coffee table before walking into the kitchen to make sure everything was in order. Everything looked fine, so she settled for wiping down the counters again.

"Mom, calm down." Percy had followed her into the kitchen. She assessed him one more time. He was wearing his typical blue t-shirt and jeans. He looked nice, but not too formal. She reached over and straightened one of his cuffs so that his sleeves looked uniform. "Why are you so nervous?" he asked. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll be on my best behavior. I told you: he makes you happy, so I'm happy for you. As long as he's a good guy and treats you well, I'll like him and be nice to him."

"I know you will Percy."

"It's Mr. Blowfish, right?"

She looked at him, exasperated. She wasn't entirely sure if he was joking.

He laughed. "I'm kidding Mom. Trying to calm you down a little." But she couldn't stop fidgeting. If she didn't know any better, she would have suspected _she_ was the one with ADHD, not her son.

"Gods Mom, you're acting like you're about to introduce him to your parents, not your son. This is how you'd expect me to react if I ever brought a girlfriend home."

"What do you mean 'if' Percy? You're going to be bringing a girl home someday, and I bet it'll be sooner than you think."

"Okay, sure Mom."

"I'm serious! What about Annabeth?"

He groaned. "Mooom. There's nothing going on between me and Annabeth. We're just friends."

"Would a friend have trekked across the entire country this summer to save her?"

"I don't know. I guess if it was a good enough friend." Sally noticed that Percy wasn't as annoyed as usual when she brought up Annabeth in this respect. Maybe he was being a little forgiving because he knew that when she was nervous, she just started talking about anything and couldn't control what was coming out of her own mouth. It was certainly not one of her favorite characteristics about herself.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Sally didn't move.

"Aren't you going to get it Mom?" Percy asked.

She nodded. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous. Paul was a good guy and they had been dating for two months now. He was eager to meet Percy. What could possibly go wrong?

She opened the door. He was standing there with a bouquet of flowers for her, trying to get on Percy's good side probably. Paul didn't realize just how protective Percy could be.

"Hello Sally," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and handing her the flowers.

"Oh Paul, they're beautiful. Thank you." She ushered him in and shut the door behind him.

She turned around and saw Percy standing there facing the two of them.

Paul cleared his throat.

"You must be Percy. Sally has told me a lot about you." He held out his hand.

Percy grabbed it and the two of them shook hands.

"She's told me a lot about you too, Mr. Blofis." Sally sighed in relief that he didn't call Paul "Blowfish."

"Please, call me Paul, Percy."

Sally left the two of them talking. She went into the kitchen to find a vase for her flowers and bring out the refreshments.

When she came back into the living room with some chips and dip – onion dip; after two years, she still refused to make seven-layer dip – she found her son and boyfriend sitting on the couch laughing about some baseball game. She was glad they were getting along.

Then she heard a sound that made her freeze. It was a high pitched screeching coming from somewhere outside. Paul didn't seem fazed; he must've thought it was a car or something. But she saw Percy freeze up, confirming her suspicions that it was not a mortal sound.

Percy stood up quickly. "Excuse me," he said. "I've got to check on… I forgot… I have to go. I'll be back soon. It was nice to meet you, Paul." With a quick wave to Paul and a kiss on his mother's cheek, he was out the door.

Paul looked baffled. He looked at Sally. She shrugged.

"Sorry about that. He can be forgetful. I guess he forgot something at a friend's house or something." It was a lame excuse and she knew it, but Paul didn't question her.

Their meeting went as well as Sally could have expected. They seemed to get along, and no monsters attacked, putting Percy in immediate danger. Maybe this could work after all.


	5. Lying

Disclaimer: Percy belongs to Rick Riordan, not me

He was three the first time it came up.

"Mommy?" Percy asked. "Where's Daddy?"

Sally froze. She knew these questions would come eventually; she just didn't realize how soon it would be.

What could she say? Telling him the truth about his parentage at this age was completely out of the question. She knew she would have to lie to him. She hated that thought. She did not want to lie to her baby, not now, not ever. But she had to.

The question was which lie should she tell? She could tell him the stork dropped him off. But she didn't want him to believe in any mythical fake beings; Poseidon knows there'd be plenty of real ones he'd be forced to believe in.

She could say she'd tell him when he was older. But she hated that excuse, and that would make Percy suspicious that she was withholding information.

What she needed was a simple lie, as close to the truth as she could muster.

But maybe not too close to the truth. She couldn't tell her angel that his father abandoned the two of them, no matter how true it was.

"He was lost at sea, baby." It was still a lie, but it was the one with the most truth to it. She suspected that it would be the first of many she would tell over the next decade or so.

Sally saw a small glimmer of hope sparkle across Percy's small face.

"So he'll come back to us Mommy?" he asked. Her heart fell.

"No honey. He's not coming back. It's just the two of us."

His face fell. She tried to make amends.

"It's okay Percy. Do you know why?"

Percy shook his head vigorously.

"Because I love you enough for both of us." Percy smiled.

He gave her a hug, whispering "I love you too Mommy" before running off to play.

Sally was glad that she was finally able to tell the truth about something.


	6. A Little Bit of Hope

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Percy Jackson

Sally heard Percy's voice on the other side of the door. She prayed to the gods that it wasn't her imagination. She flung open the door before he had a chance to and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing for everything she was worth.

She knew it wasn't true when Chiron had told her that Percy died at Mount St. Helens. Yes, she saw on the news that there was a huge explosion, and Chiron had said that there was no way he could have possibly escaped. But she knew deep down that it wasn't true. Surely if he had died, Poseidon would know about it and would have come to tell her himself?

But still, two weeks was a long time, and even she had begun to lose hope.

She saw that Percy hadn't come alone. Annabeth was there as well. Sally let go of Percy, not wanting to embarrass him _too much_ in front of his best friend/crush – he could deny it all he wanted, but she knew it was true.

Sally made them come into the kitchen and fed them cookies – blue chocolate chip ones, Percy's favorite – while she insisted upon hearing about their quest. Hearing about the dangers Percy faced always frightened her, but for once she was more focused on something other than Percy's fantastical tales: Percy and Annabeth's interactions, or lack thereof.

The few times that Sally had seen Percy and Annabeth together, they acted like the best friends that they were. They'd laugh and joke, and recently Annabeth was sometimes even a little flirty – her son was still hopelessly clueless.

But that wasn't what she saw right now. Sally hated to admit it, but they were acting awkward together. They were sitting as far away from each other as possible. They refused to make eye contact, and when they did they looked away abruptly.

Annabeth visibly relaxed as she listened to Percy and Sally chat. Sally thought maybe she was just stressed. But then Percy brought up a girl named Rachel, and the tension was clearly back.

Annabeth was jealous; there was no question about it. How could Percy be so clueless still?

Then Annabeth snapped, saying it was hard to keep Percy safe. Something was very wrong.

"What's going on with you two? Have you been fighting?" Neither of them answered, which only confirmed her suspicions even further. So she did what any mother would do: she sent Percy to call Rachel in a different room so that she could have some girl talk with Annabeth.

"What happened?" she asked as soon as Percy was out of earshot.

"Nothing happened," Annabeth responded. Sally thought she might respond like this. After all, from what Percy had said, Annabeth wasn't used to having a mother figure around. She might take a little coaxing before she'd open up.

"Are you sure? You seem a little upset."

"I'm not upset," she denied. "If he wants to call _Rachel_ then he can. He and _Rachel_ would be fantastic together. Why would I be upset that he thinks we need _Rachel_?"

Sally chose to remain silent. She wanted Annabeth to let it all out.

"It's not like we're – we didn't – it didn't mean… Just because he keeps sending me all of these mixed signals doesn't mean he doesn't mean he doesn't like _her_."

"Mixed signals? What do you mean?"

Annabeth didn't seem to want to share. But then they both heard Percy's voice drift in from the hall. He was laughing. Annabeth's face turned slightly pink.

"I kissed him," she rushed out. Sally had to admit she was surprised. They weren't acting the way she had thought they would be. "I thought he was going to die. He told me to get out of Mount St. Helens and that he had a plan. I knew he didn't, but he's always managed to surprise me. I trusted him when he said he could get out alive. I don't know what happened. I just… did it. And I turned invisible before I could see his reaction. But he seemed happy. A little shocked, but happy. I thought it could be the start of something. If he got out, that is. But then I find out that he spent the last two weeks with Calypso. Calypso!" She was starting to get angry. Sally had done a lot of research into Greek mythology when she learned who Poseidon was, and she vaguely remembered Calypso. She was a siren. Odysseus landed on her island and fell in love with her. If she remembered correctly, he was there for ten years before he was able to escape.

Annabeth continued her rant. "I know she fell in love with him; how could she not? And she asked him to stay. He stayed there for two weeks! Chiron keeps telling me to focus on the fact that he chose to come back. And I'm trying to. But it doesn't change the fact that he was there doing gods know what with her. And he wouldn't even tell me about her! He just said he was lost, and marooned on an island. That makes me think he has something to feel guilty about. And then, after all this, after the first time I've seen him in weeks since kissing him, all he can talk about is Rachel and his great plan to get her to help us. He hasn't mentioned the fact that we kissed, or that I've been worried sick for weeks. How in Hades is that supposed to make me feel?" Annabeth looked rejected. She probably felt it too.

Sally heard Percy finishing up his call. She knew she didn't have much time.

"Annabeth, I know my son. He's so naïve when it comes to these things. He probably doesn't even realize that he's making you jealous." Annabeth opened her mouth as if to deny it, but shut it immediately. "Give him time. And just remember that he came back. To _you_. You can say whatever you want, but he chose you over Calypso. That's what matters. Right now, he's just a confused fifteen year old boy. But he cares so much about you, and I don't want you to forget that."

Annabeth stared at Sally. She didn't get a chance to respond because Percy reentered the kitchen.

"Annabeth? Ready to go? We're meeting Rachel in Times Square."

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

Percy gave Sally one last hug and a goodbye. Annabeth stood and gave Sally a tight hug as well, telling Sally that her message had sunk in.

It may not have been Sally's best advice or her most well thought out pep talk. She doubted that it would even make Annabeth act cordially towards Rachel.

But she prayed to Poseidon that she had gotten through to Annabeth and maybe even given her some hope.

* * *

A/N: From the first time I read BotL, I've always tried to picture this conversation. We know that Sally definitely picked up on the tension there. And then Percy goes off to call Rachel, so OF COURSE Sally and Annabeth must have had a little heart-to-heart, right? Maybe their conversation was like this, maybe it wasn't. Either way, I guess that you can say that this idea/chapter is what inspired this fic. Hope you enjoyed!


	7. Montauk

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, or anything Percy Jackson related

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Sally couldn't stay away from it. No matter how hard she tried, no matter what memories she had tied in with that place, she couldn't stay away from Montauk. Percy was five when she brought him there for the first time. She hadn't been planning on bringing him there for a few more years – to her, this place would always be associated with the other world, the one that she needed to keep Percy away from.

But the water called to her. Sally brought her son to Montauk against her better judgment. She could bring him to Montauk, she reasoned, as long as she kept him away from the water. After all, it was the water that made her think of _him_. Without the water, Montauk was the same as any other vacation spot: a place to relax that was cut off from magic.

Of course, staying away from the water was a lot harder in reality.

The room they stayed in had a view of the ocean. It was a gorgeous view, but Sally was hesitant to even let Percy look at the water. She tried to keep him occupied without the water. She took him out to eat and to a park, but she soon ran out of ideas and she could tell Percy was getting antsy. And she was getting antsy as well. She wanted to go to the water. She thought that she'd be able to last. She was used to entertaining Percy; it shouldn't matter if they were here or at home. Of course, her resolve cracked a lot quicker than she ever thought it would.

"Mommy?" Percy whispered as Sally was tucking him into bed that first night.

"Yes baby?"

"Are we going to the beach tomorrow?"

She paused, unsure how to answer her son's question.

"I was thinking that we could go back to the park tomorrow. That will be fun, won't it?"

"But I wanna go swimming, Mommy!" He looked up at her with his big green eyes, and she knew right then that she didn't stand a chance.

And so, they went to the beach together the next day. Sally took Percy there at lunchtime, hoping that it would be crowded enough so that things that belonged in the sea would stay in the sea instead of taking the risk of showing themselves.

Sally did everything she could to stall Percy from going in the water. She laid out their towels, tried to get him to play in the sand, and covered every inch of him with sunblock. But she couldn't control her five-year-old for very long. Before she knew what was happening, she was walking to the waves with Percy's hand clasped firmly in her own.

The waves were calmer than they had been all week – she had secretly been gazing at them at every chance she had, yearning to enter. Sally couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, _he_ was keeping them calm for his young son.

They reached the edge. Percy stopped walking and let go of her hand. She could tell that he was nervous. A wave came, causing him to jump back to avoid getting wet. Sally had to hold back a chuckle.

As the wave receded, Percy walked forward, only to run back as a new wave came. At the next wave, he ran back even further. This time he didn't come closer.

"Aren't you going in, honey?" she asked him.

He shook his head vigorously. "No."

She kneeled down until she was looking him in the eye. "But you were so excited. The water will be fun."

He continued shaking his head. "No."

Sally didn't want to force him, but she knew he would love the ocean. She was about to grab his hand and walk back to their towel to try again later when a particularly large wave came. Sally's back was to the water, so she didn't see it coming. The wave soaked her ankles, but Percy saw it coming and had enough time to run even further and avoid getting wet.

Even that little bit of water invigorated her. It was as if she heard Percy's father speaking to her.

_Sally_, it said. _No son of mine is afraid of the water. Get him to come in. He'll love it; you'll see. The water is where he belongs._

She didn't know if she imagined the voice or not, but either way she knew it was right.

She walked over grabbed her son's hand again.

"We'll go in together, Percy. Trust me." He nodded. She smiled to herself. He was always so eager to please her.

Slowly, the two of them walked forward together. A wave broke and the water rose. It rose until it was a mere inch from Percy's tiny toes, and then it started to fall back. But before it could, Percy squeezed his eyes shut and took a step forward.

He looked up at her, his eyes shining. "It's cold."

She laughed. "Yes it is. It feels good, doesn't it?"

The next wave came. She felt his little fingers tighten their grasp on hers. He jumped up, over the crest of the wave. When he landed, the water came up to his knees. He stomped his feet a few times, effectively splashing her entire legs.

"Look at me Mommy. I'm swimming!"

And he certainly was.

She should have known from the beginning that it was hopeless trying to keep him away from the water. He was a son of Poseidon and the water was his domain.

Things that belonged in the sea were certainly pulled to the sea. And Percy belonged in the sea.

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A/N: This chapter is especially special to me. Not only was it the first one that I wrote for this story, but I've been to Montauk and absolutely love it there! I've always adored that Rick Riordan set the series on Long Island :-)

Also, who doesn't love baby Percy?

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for all of your support :-)


	8. Feeling Blue

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Percy Jackson!

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Sally couldn't stand to see her son so upset, especially when she was part of the cause. But she married Gabe for Percy's own good, even if the almost-nine-year-old couldn't see that yet.

It was a Saturday morning at the end of May. Percy came sulking into the kitchen. Sally noticed that he kept his head down while walking through the living room where Gabe was snoring.

"How are you doing this morning Percy?" she asked.

He shrugged, but otherwise didn't respond.

"It's all right, honey. We'll find a new school. You'll find a great place to go to third grade, I promise." He shrugged again.

Percy got the note in the mail the day before. He was kicked out of school for the second time. It was a little harsh expelling a kid in the second grade, but the principal said that they simply didn't have the resources to deal with a troublemaker like Percy if he refused to put any effort in. What they didn't know was that he tried so hard. She suspected that he was dyslexic and had trouble reading. Sally made a mental note to get him tested.

The last time that he was kicked out of school, Percy had been upset. Sally was able to cheer him up by spending the day with him and making sure that he knew that she was still so proud of him. This time, that didn't work. Gabe had heard about his expulsion. He and Sally hadn't even been married for a year yet, but he was already yelling at Percy like he owned him. Sally hated listening while he called _her_ son lazy and stupid. She tried to set him right, but he wouldn't have it.

She knew Percy couldn't care less what Gabe thought of him, but the words still stung. She knew he felt bad getting kicked out again, and Gabe only made him feel worse about himself. Sally didn't like it one bit.

She heard the couch creak. Gabe was waking up.

"What do you want to eat Percy? I'll make you anything you want."

Gabe walked in scratching the underside of his large stomach. He walked straight to the fridge and buried his head in it, probably looking for a beer despite the early hour.

"I want something blue to eat." He didn't say it with much hope in his voice. It was like he was expecting his mother to say no, giving him one more thing to pity himself about.

"You got it honey."

A derisive laugh came from the fridge. Sally glared at the backside of her disgusting husband. "Is something funny, Gabe?"

He backed out of the fridge holding, surprise, a beer. He looked at her as if she were stupid, so no different than how he normally looked at her.

"You shouldn't lie to the little punk like that Sally," he said. "What kind of food is blue? It doesn't exist."

"Yes it does!" Percy said indignantly.

"Make me something to eat Sally," he said as if he hadn't heard Percy. "And unlike this brat, I don't want something imaginary." He walked out, chuckling to himself. Sally glared after him. Percy looked crestfallen.

"We'll show him," Sally whispered to her son. She quickly mixed together a large batch of pancake mix. Then, winking at Percy, she added a few drops of blue food coloring before she put the batter on the pan. He giggled to himself.

While the pancakes were cooking, she rummaged through the fridge. She smiled to herself when she found what she was looking for: a carton of blueberries she bought the day before.

She checked on the pancakes and flipped them. They were a nice light shade of blue, just dark enough that he'd be able to tell that she did it intentionally. Sally added some of the blueberries to the batter for Percy's pancakes; Gabe wouldn't eat them, and she didn't want to waste too many berries on him.

When they were all ready, she made up three plates of pancakes: two plates of blue blueberry pancakes for her and Percy and one plate of blue pancakes with a little bit of syrup and a few blueberries on top for Gabe. She put Percy's food down in front of him. He smiled widely at her. It was the happiest she had seen him in months, since the wedding if she thought about it. She winked at him before bringing Gabe's food in for him.

She dropped it unceremoniously on the coffee table in front of him where he was resting his smelly feet.

"Blue pancakes, just for you Gabe." He looked at the plate, too astonished to respond or scold her. She wasn't sure if he was astonished that she was able to prove him wrong, or that she had the nerve to do so. She didn't hang around to find out. Sally returned to the kitchen to eat with her son.

He was giggling. "Mommy," he whispered, "can we have blue food all the time?"

She smiled right back at him. "Yes we can honey. We're going to eat it as often as possible." It felt good to stand up to Gabe for once, even if it was doing something as small as adding blue food coloring. Even so, she planned to start buying blue food coloring in bulk if only to get that smile back on Percy's face.

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**A/N: I'm definitely not feeling blue today. The movie comes out this week! :-) Is anyone else ridiculously excited to see it?**


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